Things To Do This Weekend In London: 11-12 February 2023

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All weekend

Rugby players in the middle of a match
Book your seat to watch Six Nations. Image: Shutterstock

IN PLAIN SIGHT: It's the final two days of the Wellcome Collection's free exhibition, In Plain Sight, which explores all facets of sight and sight loss, from 17th century eye conditions and treatments, to a VR experience giving sighted people an insight into what it's like to be blind. Our reviewer gave it five stars. FREE, until 12 February

MAKING MODERNISM: Also closing this weekend is Making Modernism at the Royal Academy, which highlights female artists from the early 1900s to show that Modernism wasn't just a male movement. Käthe Kollwitz is the headline artist, and though there are some great works, our reviewer felt there isn't enough room to showcase the talent of all seven artists involved. Until 12 February

SIX NATIONS: If you're planning to watch the rugby this weekend, regardless of which team you support, take a look at our guide to where to watch the Six Nations, and find a pub, bar or venue near you that's showing the action. It's Ireland v France and Scotland v Wales on Saturday, and England v Italy on Sunday this week. Until 18 March

SPORTS PODCASTS: Catch the last couple of days of Pod Live Sport, a festival dedicated to sports podcasts, at Kings Place. Everything from rugby to Formula One to martial arts is covered, with a couple of comedy sports pundit shows thrown in too. 8-12 February

IMAGINE CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL: It's February half term from Saturday, which means Southbank Centre's Imagine Children's Festival is back, celebrating all facets of kids' literature. The programme is packed, catering to all ages and budgets (plenty of events are FREE!), but stand-out events include appearances by authors Michael Rosen and Cressida Cowell. 8-18 February

A man and a woman using hand puppets to perform to a group of children, who are seated on the floor
Imagine Children's Festival is under way at Southbank Centre. Image: Pete Woodhead

BRICK DINOS: Dinosaurs from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods go on display at Forest Hill's Horniman Museum from Friday — in scaled down, Lego form. Brick Dinos is an exhibition of models by Lego artist Warren Elsmore, as well as specimens from the Horniman's own collection. Although the exhibition has been at this venue before, there are some new additions this time around, including a Polacanthus, an armoured and spiked dinosaur. 10 February-29 October

INTERNATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL: Across one weekend, bands and solo performers from the Caribbean, South Asia, India and the UK pop up at Rich Mix in Shoreditch for the International Folk Festival. 11-12 February

HALF TERM: Need ways to keep the kids entertained while school's out? How does ice skating, pretending to be a vet, or taking a trip to the real Hundred Acre Wood sound? We've covered all that and more in our guide to things to do in London in half term. 11-19 February

IMMERSIVE MEAN GIRLS: 19 years (!) since Cady Heron first set foot in North Shore High School, an immersive Mean Girls screening and dining event comes to the City. Enjoy six dishes and drinks, served at certain times in the film to pair with the action on screen. That's so fetch! 11-19 February

DONATELLO: One of our picks of exhibitions to look forward to in 2023 is the V&A's Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance, the first UK show of the sculptor's works in bronze, marble, wood and terracotta. It's a chance to learn about his life, and how he influenced subsequent generations of artists, and it opens on Saturday. 11 February-11 June

Saturday 11 February

A pair of dancers dressed in black on stage
Last chance to see Dance Me - Music by Leonard Cohen ©Rolando Paolo Guerzoni

FAMILY FILM CLUB: Take the kids to Barbican Cinema to see a programme of shorts for this week's Family Film Club. The bite-sized films show off different animation styles, and feature aliens, spiders and more. Recommended age 4+. 11am

CHURCH TOUR: The Victorian St Madgalene's Church in Maida Vale now doubles up as the Grand Junction community centre, with regular tours for anyone who wants to learn more about the space. Join one at lunchtime today to find out about the building's history and see some of its more interesting features. FREE, 12.30pm

POEMATHON: Head to Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre Pub in Walthamstow for a fundraising Poem-A-Thon — a non-stop relay of poems being read — in aid of local food banks Eat or Heat and Rukhsana Khan Foundation. 48 poets each read for 8-10 minutes and you can pop in and out as you please. 1pm-9pm

DANCE ME: Last chance to catch the UK premiere run of Dance Me — Music by Leonard Cohen at Sadler’s Wells. Three choreographers have put movement to the songs of the late, great songwriter, which are brought to life by 14 performers from Ballets Jazz Montréal. 2.30pm/7.30pm

TEEN TOUR: The Photographer's Gallery near Oxford Circus offers regular Teen Tours; guided tours of the displays led by a young person who offers their own perspective on the work. Today it's the turn of Jadine Hamilton Archer. 3pm

ORCHIDS AFTER HOURS: Kew Gardens' Orchids Festival is in full swing, with an Orchids After Hours special late event taking place tonight. Head to the Princess of Wales Conservatory to explore the flowers under special lighting, with live music and cookery demonstrations themed on this year's country, Cameroon. 6pm

TINA TURNER: Head to Alexandra Palace for What's Love Got To Do With It, a tribute act to musical legend Tina Turner. Hear songs including Proud Mary, River Deep, Private Dancer and others performed by a live band and cast. Age 14+. Doors 6.30pm

Celya AB wearing a red top and looking at the camera, against a red background
Catch Celya AB's show, Swimming, at Soho Theatre

BREATHLESS: Writer Laura Horton's show Breathless takes an amusing but honest look at the problem of extreme hoarding, based on Horton's own experiences of not being able to throw out clothes. Catch it at Soho Theatre, following its Fringe First winning run in Edinburgh. 7pm (and other dates until 18 February)

LOVERS AND FRIENDS: One of our picks of Valentine's Day events in London, Lovers and Friends at Rich Mix sees actor and presenter Ashley J hosting an interactive comedy show that both celebrates and disrespects love. It's followed by an afterparty, included in your ticket. 7.20pm

RESISTANCE COMEDY: Enfield's Dudgale Arts Centre hosts Resistance Comedy, a live show of laughs featuring acts from the UK and international comedy circuits. 7.30pm

CELYA AB: A show about moving from Paris to Birmingham, finding yourself and learning to swim at the age of 25, comedian Celya AB performs Swimming at Soho Theatre. The debut show had a sell-out run at Edinburgh Fringe last summer. 9pm

ABBA NIGHT: Cheesy party night Club de Fromage hosts an ABBA special, celebrating all things relating to the Swedish quartet, at O2 Academy Islington. Dance the night away to ABBA hits interspersed with other pop songs, along with a fancy dress contest and other competitions. 10.30pm

Sunday 12 February

Munroe Bergdorf in a green dress
Hear from Munroe Bergdorf at Southbank Centre. Image: Mariano Vivanco

LONDON BRICK FESTIVAL: Another one for Lego fans, the London Brick Festival is a one-day extravaganza of the colourful plastic building blocks, aimed at adults and children alike. Ogle ready-built displays, take part in speed-building competitions, and buy bricks, accessories, retired Lego sets, and more. 10am-5pm

SECRET STORYTELLING: Vanessa Woolf of London Dreamtime invites you to celebrate Valentine's Day with an evening of scary stories with an 'unlucky' theme in Peckham. Sounds like a good option if you want to completely avoid the love hearts and candlelit romance that are everywhere this time of year. 5pm-6.30pm

MUNROE BERGDORF: Activist and model Munroe Bergdorf is at Southbank Centre to launch her new book, Transitional. She chats to broadcaster Clara Amfo about the transitions we all undergo in our lives, and how to build a strong community. 7.30pm

NORWEGIAN EROTICA: Though not officially billed as a Valentine's Day event, we can't think of a better time of year to spend an evening delving into the intricacies of the erotic folklore tales of Norway. In the 19th century, Norwegian duo P.C. Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe travelled around rural Norway, collecting local tales, legends, and fables. While most were published, some were considered too explicit, and were hidden away in archives at the University of Oslo for a century. These are the ones that Norwegian lecturer Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand discusses online tonight. 7.30pm

SUBTERRANEAN LONDON: Explore subterranean London without leaving your house. Footprints of London guide Rob Smith offers a virtual tour beneath the city, looking at crypts, caves, tunnels, vaults and bunkers, and telling the story of how they came to be there. 8pm-9pm

SUPER BOWL: It's Super Bowl Sunday, when two of America's finest NFL teams face off against each other (with Rihanna signed up for the half-time show, we might add). Assuming you're not jetting off to Arizona to watch in person, here's a guide to Super Bowl screenings and parties in London. It runs into the early hours, so consider booking Monday off work. From 8pm

JENAN YOUNIS: Stand up comedian, and creator of Weapons of Mass Hilarity, Jenan Younis, performs her show A Conflict of Disinterest at VAULT Festival tonight — about what it's like to revive what you stand for in a world of selective empathy. 8.15pm